Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

As this is the second book to The Lynburn Legacy, I will leave a shorter review [there may be SPOILERS].
Kami Glass and her friends struggle to resolve their own personal conflicts, all the while preparing for the greatest danger of their lives. With Jared out of her head, Kami is more lost and alone than ever before, unsure of who she is and what she truly wants. But the chaos of their relationships must be cast aside as everyone is forced to band together and face the sorcerers demanding to return to the old days of blood and sacrifice.
This novel is largely working out relationships and what's really going on between everyone and in their heads. However, several events do happen, and it is not at all boring, which makes me eternally grateful to the author. In fact, critical changes occur, so anyone crazy enough to want to skip this book should dismiss that idea immediately. I did happen to catch one typo, in which two characters got their names mixed up, which is interesting (pg 328). Also, once again, Brennan shows a wonderful modern perspective in addressing the personal issues that really aid character development and perhaps making a fantasy strangely relatable.
In conclusion, from a faraway glance, the second book of The Lynburn Legacy is simply a bridge between presenting an issue and its resolution, but isn't that how all trilogies work? And yet Untold is still thoroughly entertaining. To anyone who still has not begun this series, I highly recommend it.
I rate this book 8.9/10
~Mushu

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Kami Glass lives in a quaint little village known as Sorry-in-the-Vale, itching to uncover its secrets. Every town has some story to hide, and this aspiring journalist is intent on sharing everything in her own newspaper, The Nosy Parker. When the Lynburns, a mysterious family everyone seems to fear, return from America, Kami is convinced they are just the secret she's been searching for. However, the whispers and mysteries escalate to a dangerous level when bloody crimes begin unfolding and Kami discovers the voice in her head is a real boy, a Lynburn. What Kami learns about the Lynburns- and herself- is more than she ever imagined, but she's prepared to face it all head on.
Unspoken is the first book in The Lynburn Legacy, a trilogy. Brennan does excellently in describing the setting, detailed but not too wordy. A fantastical aspect is weaved in smoothly, without seeming tacky or requiring an excessive amount of explanation. Brennan also creates a fierce main character, and doesn't neglect the development of side characters. Kami is an independent, inspiring person while breaking out of the "spunky girl cliche" as one review titled it. I really loved that she embraced her femininity without being boy-needy. Brennan beautifully displays her immense skills as an author through this one book, building a unique plot and expressing excellent writing talent.
This novel does end in a devastating cliffhanger though. I am not exaggerating. The ending is heart-breaking. Be prepared to become invested in this series and please do have the sequel on hand.
I'd recommend this book to those who like more sophisticated fantasies. It's not a light and fluffy adventure, but it is not super dark with blood everywhere.
I rate Unspoken a 10/10.
~Mushu

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

Of Monsters and Madness is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and his character Annabel Lee.

Annabel moves to Philadelphia after her mother's death to where her father, who seems less than joyful to meet her after all these years, practices medicine. She struggles to find comfort in the stony town with all its uptight mannerisms and expectations, but quickly becomes infatuated with her father's assistant, Allan, a poet when not working with her father. Bloodied murders bring danger to the unfamiliar streets of Philadelphia, and Annabel discovers horrifying connections between the crimes, her father's work, and Allan's poetry. When Allan's peculiar cousin Edgar threatens the safety of those Annabel loves, she must uncover what exactly is happening in the night, and how she is to stop it.
Very different from the style which I am accustomed to, this novel was nonetheless very intriguing. I found certain points to be rather flat and anticlimactic, but the atmosphere created was strong. It wasn't particularly memorable although it is not as if I have already forgotten what happened in the story. It was an interesting and unique concept to approach but the book itself did not leave anything for me to hang on to, nor did it leave me wanting more.
Despite personally not loving this book, the concept is fascinating enough that it may capture other readers, perhaps fans of Edgar Allan Poe's works.
I personally rate this book 6/10
~Mushu

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

I've come across quite a few works by Alex Flinn now, and they're all adorable. Flinn doesn't seem to appreciate Disney very much (which from my blog you can probably tell I'm a fan of), but she does love the classic fairy tales and her modern twists are always fun to read. Unlike the other books by Flinn I have written about, Cloaked features not one, but several fairy tales, including lesser ones that even I haven't heard of (mind you, there were only two in her list that I didn't recognize).
Cloaked is the story of Johnny, a seventeen year old boy who repairs shoes in his family's store to try and make ends meet. His life is difficult and rather... boring. When a princess from a European kingdom visits the hotel he works at, Johnny figures he should at least get to see her. Little does he know that he would catch the eye of Princess Victoriana and be sent on a quest to save her brother, the heir to the kingdom and currently, a frog prince. On a mission to rescue a prince and his country, Johnny enters a world of magic, witches, and used-to-be-human animals.
This novel was fun and light although the romance felt randomly thrown in, with way too obvious hints. Of course, the target audience is around pre-teen, middle school age, which is fitting. I really liked the adventure aspect in Flinn's writing. Villains and heroes were clearly divided so although not the most complex read, it was quite entertaining. I enjoyed the simplicity, although from other reviews it appears others do not share the same appreciation. My only real complaint would be that because several of the characters were from Europe, Flinn wrote their dialogue with accents. By this, I mean that the princess would speak like "I vill vait for zat," or something similar. It just felt tacky to me.
I'd recommend this book to those who are looking for a fun, cute book, not something complicated to vex your mind- especially for younger audiences. I rate the book 6.5/10
~Mushu

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Samantha was an iconic it girl. Everyone loved her, everyone feared her, everyone wanted to be her. But she loses it all when she and her best friend Cassie go missing for several days and Samantha returns without a single memory. Now, Sam flounders through her once elite life style, struggling to find a place to belong amidst the rivalries and fake smiles. With a second chance to change her life, Sam must define who are her true friends, and who's just aiming for a shot in the limelight. As if dealing with the drama wasn't enough, horrific flashbacks to the nights she was missing forces Sam to remember, Cassie is still missing, and her buried memories could be the only thing keeping Sam safe.
I really enjoyed this book, the themes of friendship and romance were enjoyable additions without dominating the plot. The novel wasn't all goreish with murder like I suspected, so it was a considerably fun read. Don't Look Back was more of a mystery than a dark, horror book, and it's the kind where the killer has reasons and such, not just being an enraged psychopath. I didn't even suspect who the killer was, although I wouldn't deem the ending to be a shocking twist. The novel wasn't like a roller coaster of emotions, it neatly followed the typical arc of a mystery novel without being boring. Armentrout also wraps up her book very nicely and straightforward. Many authors attempt to quickly wrap up the falling action part of the plotline but it ends up rather rushed and messy. Armentrout manages to finish cleanly without leaving readers feeling cut off, which I greatly appreciated.
I'd strongly recommend this to people who enjoyed mysteries at a young age and which to continue reading similar books even as a young adult. I rate the book 8.5/10
~Mushu